How to Prune Bougainvillea

Co-authored by Katie Gohmann

Last Updated: February 16, 2024 Fact Checked

Bougainvillea is a climbing, flowering vine or shrub native to Brazil. This tropical perennial gained its nickname, "paper flower," for its delicate bracts that come in a variety of colors, including purple, red and orange. The bougainvillea's thick, thorn-covered vines require regular pruning, trimming and pinching to keep it healthy and to make it look its best. These simple steps will keep your tropical plant looking great year after year.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Gearing Up to Prune

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1
Prune in early spring. Bougainvillea can technically be pruned at any time of the year, but the best time to do so for the integrity of the plant is in very early spring, before the plant has begun to produce buds for new flowers. If you wait until the buds have formed, you'll cut off the new growth and limit flower production. If you prune too early, frost can kill the new growth that immediately emerges after pruning.^{[1]
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- Bougainvillea bloom in cycles, with months of vigorous blooming followed by rest periods. Pruning before the beginning of a new cycle allows the vine to produce vigorous new growth.
- The exact month of the year during which bougainvillea should be pruned differs by region. The easiest way to tell whether it's time is to simply check the weather or the Farmer’s Almanac.^{[2]
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  Research source} When the last chance of frost has passed, but before the vine has begun to bud, it's time to prune.
Many bougainvillea species have thick, very sharp thorns that can hurt your hands. Also, some species are poisonous and can even give you a rash or inflame your skin. If you're planning a big pruning session, get prepped by donning a pair of thick gloves. You might also want to wear long sleeves in a thick material to protect your wrists and arms. Some bougainvillea branches have hardly any thorns, but others are completely covered in them.^{[3]
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Wiping the pruning shears you're going to use with rubbing alcohol or another disinfectant will keep you from spreading disease. If you trim off a portion of bougainvillea that has been affected by disease, you don't want to spread it to another section by using the same dirty blades. Plan to wipe off the blades of your shears each time you cut off dead bougainvillea.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Pruning, Trimming and Pinching

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1
Cut away dead or diseased portions of the plant. This is the first major step when it comes to pruning. To ensure the long-term health of the plant, you want to cut back anything that looks dead or discolored. That way, you can prevent the disease from spreading to the rest of the plant. Cut the branches back to a node or flush with the main stem.
- Remember to wipe your pruning shears with the disinfectant after pruning diseased branches before pruning healthy branches to prevent disease from spreading.
- Remove the diseased branches from the area, so they don't contaminate the plant.
2
Remove large, obstructive branches. Pruning should open up the plant and allow it to grow into a healthy shape. If certain branches seem to be threatening the health of the plant, cut them away.^{[4]
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Research source} Step back to look at the bougainvillea and continue pruning to obtain the shape you desire.
- Bear in mind that with each cut you make, new branches will emerge. Pruning helps the plant grow thicker and bushier. If you see an area that looks stringy, make a strategic cut to help it branch out there.
- Many bougainvillea are trained to grow up a trellis or along a fence. As you prune, you can gently wrap new shoots around the structure to which the plant is being trained, to encourage growth in that direction.
- Bougainvillea shrubs can be pruned to achieve all sorts of shapes. If you're growing yours in a pot, you can even prune it to take on the shape of a small tree.
3
Trim the bougainvillea throughout the growing season. Trimming different from pruning, in that you're not taking out entire branches, but instead performing smaller cuts designed to maintain the shape of the plant. Use pruning shears to trim the tips of the branches just after the last node. This will encourage a new branch to form there.^{[5]
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- You can remove dead wood from the plant by trimming it at any time of year, but save the bigger pruning cuts for early spring, when the plant won't get damaged.
Perform what is called pinch pruning in between regular prunings. Simply pinch off the tops of the blooms with your fingers once they have faded, then pinch back to the next nearest branch. This will encourage new growth and new blooms.
5
Cut back new growth midway through the blooming cycle. You can encourage a flush of new blooms by cutting back the new growth by half at the midpoint of the blooming cycle. Make cuts just above nodes to encourage new branching to occur.^{[6]
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- Be sure not to wait too late in the season, though, since toward the end of the cycle it will be too late to encourage new blooms.
- Don't cut into the old growth until early spring.

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How do you propagate Bougainvillea?

Monique Capanelli
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Monique Capanelli is a Plant Specialist and the Owner and Designer for Articulture Designs, an innovative design firm and boutique in Austin, Texas. With over 15 years of experience, Monique specializes in interior botanical design, living walls, event decor, and sustainable landscape design. She attended the University of Texas at Austin. Monique is a Certified Permaculture Designer. She provides plant and botanical design experiences, from small gifts to entire transformations, to shoppers as well as commercial clients including Whole Foods Market and The Four Seasons.

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When deadheading, do I pinch the whole flower off or leave the bulbous bit it grows out of?

Katie Gohmann
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Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

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To properly deadhead your bougainvillea, pinch off the whole flower and bracts down to where they meet the stem.

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How do I prune bougainvillea during a frost?

Katie Gohmann
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Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

Katie Gohmann

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Expert Answer

Don't prune your bougainvillea during a frost. Instead, wait until spring. If you don't wait, you could damage the plant.

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Tips

Bougainvillea are hardy and can tolerate any type of pruning you prefer. Try a variety of shapes and forms when pruning bougainvillea. Cut away low-lying branches for an interesting, tree-like look.

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Because of the thick, wiry structure of the vines of the bougainvillea, the plant makes a great bonsai subject. Prune it to the shape you want and keep it fairly short. Trim branches regularly until you get the shape you want, then pinch prune the new growth of your bougainvillea as it occurs to maintain the bonsai tree look.

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When learning how to prune bougainvillea, keep in mind that the more often you prune off dead blooms, the more new blooms your plant will produce. Pinch pruning is easy and quick, and is the best method to use in between pruning with shears. It can also be done any time of year and as often as you like.

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Warnings

Don't forget to remove blooms that have faded from your bougainvillea. Leaving dried blooms on the plant will prohibit new blooms from forming.

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Do not prune your bougainvillea too short or too low to the ground. This could result in a lack of new blooms.

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Never attempt to trim a bougainvillea without using gardening gloves. The thorns and thick branches can injure your hands.

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